Self-monitoring of the intraocular pressure with ICARE® HOME2 and a smartphone application: Feasibility and acceptability.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of self-tonometry by glaucoma patients using iCare® Home2 (ICH2) and a smartphone application, without healthcare personnel supervision.

Methods: After downloading a smartphone application, participants learned to handle the ICH2 via an instruction film, measured their intraocular pressure (IOP) and transferred the data to the caregiver via the application. Participants' measurements were compared to healthcare personnel measurements using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). Participants answered questionnaires about their experience of self-tonometry.

Results: Twenty-eight participants were included in the study and three of them dropped off. There was no statistically significant difference between the last measurements obtained with ICH2 by the participants and the GAT measurements for the right and the left eye, p = 0.781 and p = 0.888 respectively. The inter-user agreement was good to excellent between the last measurements obtained with ICH2 by the participants and the GAT measurements for the right and the left eye (ICC 0.907 and 0.830 respectively). The overall impression of the participants was very positive, with 92% happy (a lot or completely) with the instruction film and 88% happy (a lot or completely) with the smartphone application. Thirty-six percent would have preferred to have an instructor by their side.

Conclusion: Our study showed the feasibility and acceptability of self-tonometry with iCare® Home2 and a smartphone application without the supervision of a healthcare provider in a group of motivated glaucoma patients.